Quick Answer: The Dolphin Explorer E20 (~$668 sale, per current retailer pricing) is Maytronics’ entry-level wall-climbing robot, built for in-ground pools up to 33 ft (10 m). It ships with a 50 ft cable, runs a ~2-hour cleaning cycle, and uses a top-load filter basket — but it skips the fine-particle NanoFilter, Wi-Fi and full waterline scrubbing that the pricier Nautilus CC Plus includes. It’s a solid budget buy for a smaller pool, not a replacement for the CC Plus on a larger one.
The Explorer E20 sits at the bottom of Maytronics’ current lineup — cheaper than the brand’s best-seller, the Nautilus CC Plus, but scaled back to match. Here’s what you actually get for the lower price, and who it’s really for.
Dolphin Explorer E20 at a glance
| Spec | Dolphin Explorer E20 |
|---|---|
| Type | Corded robotic cleaner |
| Cleans | Floor, partial walls (no waterline) |
| Max pool size | Up to 33 ft / 10 m (in-ground) |
| Cable length | 50 ft (no anti-tangle swivel) |
| Cleaning cycle | ~2 hours |
| Filtration | Top-load fine filter (no NanoFilter) |
| Weight | ~14.6 lbs (6.62 kg) |
| Scheduling | Weekly timer, no app/remote |
| Warranty | 2-year limited |
| Price | ~$668 sale / $799 list |
| Rating | ★★★½ |
Dolphin Explorer E20
- Cleans the floor and climbs walls (partial coverage) of in-ground pools up to 33 ft.
- Corded — unlimited runtime, nothing to recharge between cycles.
- Top-load filter basket lifts out for a quick rinse.
- Built-in weekly timer runs the robot automatically, no app needed.
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By the numbers
- Pool coverage: Maytronics rates the Explorer E20 for in-ground pools up to 33 ft (10 m) — well below the Nautilus CC Plus’s 50 ft rating, so measure your pool before buying.
- Price gap: Current retailer pricing puts the E20 at ~$668 sale / $799 list, about $80 cheaper than the CC Plus’s ~$749 — a smaller discount than the spec gap between the two models might suggest.
- Cable reach: It ships with a 50 ft cable, per retailer spec sheets, without the anti-tangle swivel the CC Plus’s cable has.
- Cleaning cycle: A standard cycle runs about 2 hours (Maytronics spec), similar to the CC Plus despite the smaller motor and lower suction rate (Maytronics lists 15 m³/hour).
What it does well
Lower entry price into a real Maytronics robot. At ~$668, the E20 is the cheapest way onto the Dolphin brand — a name with 40+ years in pool robotics, wide parts availability, and a 2-year warranty. For a pool under 33 ft, you’re not sacrificing the brand, just the top-tier features.
Top-load filtration. Like the rest of the current Dolphin lineup, the E20 uses a top-load basket that lifts straight out — easier to rinse than a bottom-flap design, even without the CC Plus’s extra ultra-fine cartridge option.
Genuinely hands-off scheduling. The built-in weekly timer runs the robot automatically without an app, which is one less thing to configure if you just want it to clean on a schedule and be left alone.
Where it falls short
- No waterline scrubbing. Maytronics markets “wall climbing,” but independent testing from Poolbots found the wall coverage is partial and it doesn’t reach the waterline scum line the way the CC Plus does — a real gap if your pool collects a visible ring.
- No NanoFilter. Fine debris like algae and sand passes through more easily than on Dolphin’s NanoFilter-equipped models, per Poolbots’ testing notes.
- No app or remote. There’s no Wi-Fi connectivity or manual steering — the weekly timer is your only control, which is fine for hands-off users but limiting if you want to spot-clean or check status remotely.
- Smaller pool limit. The 33 ft rating rules it out for larger in-ground pools; going past that limit means uneven coverage and a cable that runs out of reach.
Dolphin Explorer E20 vs the alternatives
| Model | Max pool size | Cleans | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer E20 | 33 ft | Floor, partial walls | Smaller pools, tightest Dolphin budget | ~$668 |
| Nautilus CC Plus | 50 ft | Floor, walls, waterline | Best value overall | ~$749 |
| Explorer E70 | 50 ft | Floor, walls | Larger pools, still budget | ~$999 |
| Aiper Scuba S1 | N/A (cordless) | Floor, walls, waterline | Cord-free convenience | ~$550–700 |
The clearest upgrade path is straight to the Nautilus CC Plus: for roughly $80 more, you get a bigger pool rating, full waterline scrubbing and an optional Wi-Fi model — see our full Nautilus CC Plus review. If cordless convenience matters more than brand, the best cordless robotic pool cleaner guide covers the Aiper Scuba S1 at a similar price. Want the wider field before deciding? Our best budget robotic pool cleaner guide and best inground pool cleaner guide rank every option by price and pool size.
Who should buy the Explorer E20
Buy it if your pool is 33 ft or smaller, you want a real Dolphin/Maytronics robot on the smallest possible budget, and you’re fine controlling it with a weekly timer instead of an app. It’s a legitimate entry point into the brand, not a stripped-down gimmick.
Look elsewhere if your pool is over 33 ft, you want full waterline scrubbing, or you need Wi-Fi/app control — the Nautilus CC Plus covers all three for about $80 more. For the full brand lineup, see our best Dolphin pool cleaner guide.
The bottom line
The Dolphin Explorer E20 (~$668) is a legitimate budget entry into Maytronics’ lineup for smaller in-ground pools — corded reliability, top-load filtration and hands-off weekly scheduling at the brand’s lowest price. It gives up waterline scrubbing, fine-particle filtration and app control to get there, and the CC Plus closes most of that gap for not much more money. For a 33-ft-or-smaller pool on a tight budget, it earns a solid ★★★½.